1.1 Introduction to Compute Service
What is Compute Service?
Compute Service is a cloud solution that enables researchers to provision secure, repeatable research environments without needing to navigate complex cloud infrastructure. With Compute Service, you can focus on your research mission rather than infrastructure management.
The Problem It Solves
Researchers often need significant computing power for data analysis, simulations, and machine learning — but provisioning and managing cloud infrastructure requires expertise that most researchers don’t have and shouldn’t need to acquire.
| Challenge | How Compute Service Helps |
|---|---|
| Cloud infrastructure is complex | Pre-configured environments ready in minutes |
| Security setup requires expertise | Security controls built in automatically |
| Cost tracking is difficult | Built-in cost transparency per workspace and project |
| Environments are hard to reproduce | Standardized workspace types ensure consistency |
| Collaboration requires shared infrastructure | Shared studies and project-based access |
Key Benefits
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Self-Service | Launch research environments in minutes through a web portal |
| Security Built-In | Pre-configured security controls and access management |
| Cost Transparency | Track spending and manage budgets for research projects |
| Reproducibility | Standardized environments ensure consistent research setups |
| Collaboration | Share environments and data across research teams |
Who Should Use It?
Use Compute Service if you:
- Need a virtual machine for data analysis, ML training, or simulations
- Want to get started quickly without cloud expertise
- Need built-in security and access controls
- Want transparent cost tracking tied to your project
- Need to collaborate with others using shared data and environments
Consider direct cloud access if you:
- Need services beyond virtual machines (e.g., managed databases, serverless, containers)
- Require custom network architectures
- Have cloud infrastructure experience and need full flexibility
| Feature | Compute Service | Direct Cloud Access |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Time | Minutes | Hours to days |
| Cloud Expertise Required | Minimal | Significant |
| Security Configuration | Automatic | Manual |
| Cost Tracking | Built-in | Manual setup |
| Flexibility | Curated options | Full cloud services |
| Best For | Focused research computing | Complex custom architectures |
Tip
Not sure which option is right for you? Start with Compute Service — you can always move to direct cloud access later if your needs grow.
Common Use Cases
| Use Case | Description | Recommended Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Data Analysis | Process and analyze research datasets with scalable compute | Medium or Large general purpose |
| Machine Learning | Train ML models with GPU-enabled workspaces | GPU-enabled instances |
| Simulation | Run computational simulations with high-performance instances | Compute optimized |
| Development | Build and test research software in isolated environments | Small or Medium general purpose |
| Collaboration | Share standardized environments with research partners | Any, with shared studies |
How It Works
- Login — Access the Compute Service portal with your credentials
- Configure — Select workspace type, size, and storage requirements
- Launch — Compute Service provisions your environment automatically (typically 5-10 minutes)
- Connect — Access your workspace via SSH, remote desktop, or web browser
- Work — Use your environment for research activities
- Manage — Start, stop, or terminate workspaces as needed
Ready to get started? Next up: Getting Access